Trust Me
by xmisundazt00d
Summary: Rory goes after Jess when he leaves for California. Ironic, right? Expect the unexpected. Lit. Set after 'Say Goodnight, Gracie.'
1. Chapter 1

Summary: What would happen if Jess told Rory where he was going during 'Say Goodnight, Gracie.'

A/N: Hey guys! I decided to try a new venue, a new topic. Gilmore Girls is my favorite show, and I decided to try out my favorite pairing, Rory and Jess. I hope you enjoy this chapter, its my first story for Gilmore Girls, so be nice! Review!

**Trust Me**

**Chapter 1**

Rory was sitting towards the front of the bus. The bus pulled to a stop, several people getting off. She took a look behind her and noticed Jess. She moved to the back of the bus, standing in front of him.

"Hey," She greeted him shyly.

"Hey," He replied in a quiet, monotone voice.

"Can I sit?" She asked softly, peering down at her shoes.

"Uh, sure, sit." He answered. "I thought you took an earlier bus?"

"My first class got cancelled today," She explained.

"Oh," He looked down at his hands. "So what's been going on?" He asked awkwardly.

"Nothing much," She replied indifferently, "Fran died."

"I heard," He took his sight from his hands, looking up at Rory.

"I went to her funeral yesterday," She mentioned, hoping to start conversation.

"Luke went, too."

"I saw him there," She stated quietly, reminiscing on the funeral.

"Yeah?"

"He was in the back," She explained.

There was an awkward silence, tension running high from the other night.

"I can't go to the prom," He stated suddenly, slicing the silence. "I couldn't get tickets."

"Oh."

"Sorry," Jess apologized, staring at his feet.

The bus came to a halt, and Rory peered out the window, noticing it was her stop.

"This is my stop," She mentioned, grabbing her backpack.

"Okay," Jess replied, getting along with her. This brought his small, duffel bag into view.

"So you'll call me?" Rory asked, pleading with her blue eyes.

"Yeah, I'll call you," Jess sat back down.

Rory walked down the aisle, and turned around once more to take a look at Jess. That's when she noticed a rough, earth-worn duffel bag beneath Jess's seat. Her brows furrowed in confusion, thinking Jess was on his way to work. She turned to the bus driver, asking him for a few seconds. She retreated down the aisle, stopping in front of Jess.

"What's that bag for?" Rory asked curiously, gesturing underneath his seat.

"What bag?"

Rory sighed tiredly, "Don't play dumb, Jess," Rory told him. "The bag underneath your seat."

Jess shook his head. "Huh? I had no idea there was a _bag_ underneath my seat," He answered, reaching down to retrieve the bag.

Rory rolled her eyes. "Why do you have that bag with you?"

Jess shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe I need a change of clothes at work?"

Rory shook her head in disbelief. "I highly doubt _Wal Mart_ needs you to change your clothes throughout the day."

Jess smirked. "Maybe I'm the new mascot. Mascots wouldn't be mascots without their costumes, would they? I'd be a pretty scared kid if Barney didn't wear his headpiece."

"Don't give me lip, Jess," Rory snapped. "Will you just tell me why you have a duffel bag with you? Are you Luke's new apprentice?"

"Why do you want to know about this particular bag?" Jess asked.

"Maybe because it's yours. Any other bag, I wouldn't mind so much," Rory explained. "I'm a curious girl Jess. Feed me my knowledge."

"I don't think you want this knowledge."

Rory folded her arms across her chest. "Try me."

"Hey kid!" The bus driver yelled from the front of the bus. "Are you getting off or not?"

Rory sighed. "Would you mind giving me one minute?"

The bus driver shook his head. "I can't do that. I have a schedule to keep up!"

Rory bit her lip, wondering what to do. She didn't want to leave without finding out what Jess was doing and where he was going. She contemplated skipping her first class to be able to find out what Jess was planning on doing, but her better judgment told her not to.

She looked up at Jess, her blue eyes pleading. "Can you do me this favor and just tell me where you're going?"

Jess covered his face with his hands, shaking his head. He looked up at Rory and answered, "I'm heading out to California."

"W-What?" Rory gaped at him, unable to grasp the concept of him leaving Stars Hollow.

"I'm heading to the airport. I'm leaving for California in about…" He looked down at his watch, "Two hours."

Rory looked up at Jess, her eyes brimming with tears. "Why didn't you bother telling me?"

Jess looked down at his feet, ashamed he hadn't even told Rory. "I wasn't sure how you would react."

"Well, I'm reacting now Jess. Is this the way you pictured it?"

"Not really," He stated awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "Do we have to do this here?"

"Of course we do!" Rory snapped. "Why didn't you bother telling me?"

Jess shrugged, not really sure why. He didn't want to see the look on her face when he told her that he would be leaving her for good. "I just didn't know how to tell you. I was afraid of the way you would look at me if I told you."

"Is my Bambi face that threatening?" Rory choked back tears.

"Depends on when you use it."

"Hey ma'am!" The bus driver yelled. "We either need to get a move on, or stay on the bus!"

Rory sighed, and motioned for the bus driver to continue on his route.

"You aren't going to school?" Jess asked.

Rory shook her head, sitting down next to him. She looked out the window, staring into space. Why would just even bother to tell her now, when he was leaving in two hours? She felt ignored, not knowing this major movement of his life. She usually knew when most things happened concerning him, either from him or from her mom, mostly from her mom, though. What was she going to do now that Jess was going to California? The whole town would want to know why he left. They wouldn't believe her if she told them she didn't know. They would think they broke up and the whole town would gang up on poor Luke for letting Jess stay there. She turned to Jess, contemplating the next move that was on the edge of her tongue. This would be life altering, but would be worth it in the long shot. This would cost her everything she had worked for, and she would be tarred and feathered if she ever showed her face in Stars Hallow. But if she never saw that smirk again, she knew she would shatter.

"Um, Jess," She stated quietly, tugging at his sleeve for attention. "Would you mind having some company on your flight?"


	2. Die Hard Fan

A/N: Hey guys! Here's another chapter for you. Yes, not too many people have seen this story yet, but I'm hoping to get a few chapters out so people notice it and hopefully take interest. Thank you for ther reviews, and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Trust Me

**_Chapter 2

* * *

_**

_"Um, Jess," She stated quietly, tugging at his sleeve for attention. "Would you mind having some company on your flight?"_

"What, are you assigning me a bodyguard?" Jess stated incredulously.

"Jess, you never see the point in anything," Rory sighed. "Would you mind if I came along?"

"Why would you want to come with me to California?" Jess asked. "There is nothing for you there."

"You're going to be there, Jess! What more of a reason would I need to go?" Rory rolled her eyes. "It's not like I'm some huge Paris Hilton fan who would die to get an autograph or something."

"And the sarcasm lives on," Jess muttered.

"Don't be a smart aleck," Rory spat. "I want to go with you, is that so hard to understand?"

"That's not the part that I don't understand," Jess replied. "Why would you throw away your high society education to live in California with me?"

Rory looked down at her feet, shrugging. "I'm not really sure why. It just feels right."

"Doesn't going to Yale feel right?"

"Of course it does!" Rory cried. "There's just a nagging feeling at the bottom of my gut telling me to leave with you. My stubborn brain is telling me otherwise, though I get the feeling my gut is winning it over."

"Some argument you got there," Jess mumbled sarcastically. "What would your mom say about this?"

Rory shrugged off the comment, not sure of what to say. Honestly, she had no idea what her mom would say. This was one event in her life she would have to let take course.

"Don't just shrug, Rory. This isn't like moving across town, it's across the country!" Jess spat.

"You say that like I don't know my geography. I'll have you know, geography was one of the topics on the acceptance test for Chilton."

"Chilton is not the problem here, Rory!" Jess cried in frustration. "You can't just throw away your dream of going to Yale just so you can move to California with me! I really am not worth throwing your dream away for."

"You say that like I don't care about you," Rory whispered quietly.

"Right now, our relationship isn't the problem," Jess sighed. "You can't just move across the country because you feel like being with me!"

"Why are you so against me going? It's as if you don't want me there."

"I don't want you to make a mistake you'll regret later." He stated through gritted teeth.

"What's there to regret?"

"If you move, with me, it will be a long time until you can come back. You won't want to go to college when you're nearing your 30's" He remarked.

"Sure I will. There a lot of people who go to college at that age."

"Mostly people who were pregnant at the age of sixteen," He mumbled.

"Don't make generalizations about things you don't know about," Rory replied crossly.

"Then stop being naïve!" He snapped. "You're acting as if it's nothing to move across the country."

"Obviously it is. The country is very large if you ask me."

"Be serious about this, Rory. What about your mom? How do you think she's going to react to you moving across the country? And what about your psychopath grandparents? Rory, you need to consider these things before you just decided to leave. You may be eighteen, but that doesn't mean you can just leave!"

"Who do you think you are, telling me what's right and what's not? I am perfectly capable of handling my family, especially my mother. If you can just move out, then I also have every right to move out! We are the same age, going through the same process of dealing with school. Don't act like you have power over me, when you know you don't!" Rory cried.

"Rory, I'm your boyfriend. I'm supposed to worry about you," He answered softly, hanging his head.

Rory's eyes widened, clearly showing her shock. That was the first time she had heard Jess admit any feelings he had towards her. She had never heard words like that come out of his mouth. Now she realized he was arguing because he cared. He was arguing because he was looking out for her well being. This was all so she was better off in the long run, but in reality, the picture in her brain was showing her and Jess in California.

They sat in silence for the next few minutes, Rory deeply immersed in her thoughts. She really had no idea why she was doing this; it just felt like the right thing to do. She felt she had to be with Jess, and if going to California was the way to do it, then so be it. Whenever she was with Jess, she felt like she could do anything. The reason behind going to California was simple. She wanted to be with Jess. She couldn't stand being an entire country away from him, all the while being in a relationship. She just didn't know how she was going to tell her mother. Her mother was her rock, the person that kept her grounded. Now that Jess came, she felt she needed both of them in her life. Her mother always came first, but Jess was slowly climbing his way on the priority list. How she would break this to her mother was a mystery to her, even after telling Jess she wanted to go with him.

She turned to look out the window and saw that they were nearing the city. She looked over at Jess and saw he was reading a worn out book, the binding slowly coming apart. She decided to find out the title; it might appeal to her in the future. She now didn't have her Stars Hallow bookstore to rely on for old classics.

"Hey," Rory whispered, turning to face him. Jess looked up at her curiously. "What are you reading?" She asked.

"Just an old classic," He replied.

"You should be a book critic," Rory answered sarcastically. "I like to know what you're reading. Come on, tell me."

"I don't think the bus driver wants to clean up vomit," Jess remarked. "But since you're so keen on knowing, I'm reading The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway."

Rory's face contorted and she placed her finger halfway into her mouth. "Please don't torture me with endless details. You making me read that was not a good idea. Let me tell you, I usually like what I read. This book is at the bottom of my suggestion list."

"Well that is just insulting. How could you insult the master?"

"This guy is no master. Brilliant writer, yes. But page after page, the sentences just get shorter and shorter."

"This man won a Nobel Prize for Literature," Jess argued. "How much more of a master do you need to be?"

"What are you, his stalker?"

"I'm an informed reader," He muttered, his attention wavering back to his book.

"Guess Hemingway is more important," Rory mumbled, folding her arms across her chest.

"Not more important than you."

"Well aren't you just a book of compliments today? Miss Patty would be proud."

"Proud of the fact that I care?" Jess inquired.

"You would remind her of one of her husbands," Rory stated simply, reaching over and pinching his cheek.

Jess slapped her hand away. "That's not necessary."

Rory just shrugged and turned to the window, once again diving into her thoughts. She was just about to doze off into a short nap when the bus came to a jerking stop. She leaned up, looking towards the front of the bus. Sure enough, there was the bus driver signaling everyone to get off, the airport being the last stop for this bus route. She looked over at Jess, who was still sitting, not bothering to pay attention to the demands of the plump bus driver.

She reached over, tugging at his arm for attention. "Jess, we're at the airport." This was it, the moment of truth. This was when she had to make the real decision of leaving. Staying on the bus and skipping school was one thing, but actually buying a plane ticket and getting on the plane was another. She looked over at Jess, who was slipping his worn-out book into his back pocket. She stood up alongside him, grabbing her school bag and following him off.

They both stood on the pavement, silence overtaking them. Jess rocked back and forth on his feet awkwardly, not sure of what to say next. Rory just fiddled with the strap of her backpack, humming a random tune.

Jess sighed and looked up at Rory. "I think we should head in, the plane is boarding in an hour."

"Yea," Rory whispered, following him in through the terminal doors. She took a look around the bustling terminal, people speed walking to catch their flight, some just walking aimlessly, probably just waiting to board their flight. Rory sped her pace up to keep up with Jess, who was flying down the hallway towards check in. Rory's eyes then widened, realizing an important detail.

"Jess," Rory called, walking to his side. "How am I supposed to buy a plane ticket?"

Jess shrugged, shifting his bag to his other shoulder. "We'll wing it."

"You know I can't wing any situation. I have to have a plan or I stutter and then they'll think I'm lying and it won't work out." Rory rambled.

Jess just smirked. "I'm pretty sure you have emergency money."

Rory nodded. "Of course I do. But we could hardly call moving to California an emergency."

"Of course it is. Unless you want to walk, of course. There's always hitchhiking, too."

"Jess, I can't just take money from my savings account!" Rory cried. "That's for college. I'm pretty sure college is more important than flying across the country."

"From the looks of it, not anymore," Jess replied. "Graduation is in a week, Rory. You think you're going to Yale without your diploma, right?"

"Y-Yea, that's an important part," Rory stammered. "B-But that doesn't mean I can't go back for my diploma."

"You might want to finish your last week of finals before you do," Jess answered cooly. Jess turned to Rory. He reached for her hand, giving it a light squeeze. "I'm not keeping you here. This decision, you coming with me to California, is yours to make. You don't _have_ to come with me."

Rory fidgeted with her sleeve, looking down at the floor. She wasn't sure of what to say. She truly wanted to leave and go with Jess. But Yale, everything she had worked for at Chilton. Jess was right, she wouldn't be able to go back and just get her diploma. She wouldn't be able to just go to Yale without the diploma. If she left now, it would be a permanent deal. Cool air hit her hand, and she realized Jess let go. She peered up at him, and saw he was signing something. This was it, Jess was leaving. He had just sealed the deal with his personal John Hancock. Jess was eighteen, he was eligible to leave home if he desired to. Rory was also eighteen, but she hadn't nearly experience enough things alone to be at the place where Jess is. Rory had never even been 40 miles away from home. How was she going to leave?

Rory tapped Jess's shoulder, causing him to stop and turn around. "You honestly think I'll be able to leave without a passport, right?"

Jess sighed. "That might be an important part of security."

"You've already sealed the deal," Rory stated, gesturing towards the boarding pass.

"Indeed I have."

Rory turned her head, afraid she might cry. Jess was going to leave. Even after fighting with herself, trying to find a solution, she had overlooked the fact that she had nothing with her. She wouldn't be able to go with him. "So you're going to leave, right?"

"Would be shame to waste $300."

That was when Rory broke down. She couldn't hold it in longer than she had been. She had been in denial about it all, hoping to be able to go. She walked over to Jess, encircling her arms around his waist. She cried, not wanting him to go.

There stood a girl, mourning over a boy.

Both clueless lovers.

One wiling to sacrifice, the other willing to let go.


	3. Dirty Laundry

A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for the generous reviews, I'm so glad I have you guys as fans! I'm flattered by the number of alerts and favorites I have for only two chapters. Keep the reviews coming, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Trust Me

**Chapter 3**

**

* * *

**Rory sat on the bus, watching the apartments slowly turn into suburban houses. She gave sad smile as the bus came to a stop; the bus stopping meant she was farther away from where she wanted to be, with Jess. She sighed, not wanting to remember what had happened at the airport. When Jess left, Rory fled. She didn't want to see him board the plane; she wasn't willing or ready to let him go. She looked out the window again, and saw they were approaching their small town. Her brows furrowed in confusion as the bus passed by the town square. She sat up quickly and ran down the aisle of the bus. 

"Stop the bus!" She told the plump man. He jerked to a stop, and Rory ran off the bus. She jogged the middle of the town square; out of breathe from lugging her backpack. She wasn't much of a runner, or athlete for that matter.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Rory asked desperately, dropping her bag on the ground.

"Hanging my sheets," She shrugged, pinning another corner of the white sheet onto the line.

"You're hanging sheets in the middle of the town square?" Rory gestured towards the rest of the town.

"There wasn't enough sun hitting the back of the house," Lorelai replied carelessly.

"You never do laundry," Rory remarked. "Who gave you the crazy pills?"

"Crazy pills? Oh, sweetie, if you think that's what I'm on, you're seriously mistaken."

"Mom, right now the drugs you take are not the problem."

"What's the problem, then?" Lorelai asked innocently.

"Put the pins down and back away from the laundry," Rory stated carefully.

Lorelai laughed. "Why should I? Hon, these sheets have been sitting on your bed for_God_ knows how long. I'm washing these sheets so when you do future dirty things your boyfriend won't go 'I'm not in the mood' on you."

"Mom!" Rory cried, blushing a deep crimson. "Do _not_ do this here!"

Lorelai just continued hanging the remaining sheets.

"Now, are you going to tell me the real reason you're hanging sheets?" Rory asked quietly, moving to help her.

"I already told you the reason. Don't deny it just because I gave you a dirty reason."

"Most of your reasons are usually dirty," Rory muttered.

"Are not!" Lorelai argued childishly.

"Mom, you washed your car on your own one day, which by the way was the worst idea of your life, just because some muscle man moved in across the street."

"That happened to be one of my finest moments."

"You pulled a cheerleader car wash move and sponged yourself," Rory conitnued. "I still think you're permanently bleached."

"Ok, so the aftermath of my moment wasn't so great, sue me. You have to admit, though, Lover Boy had the hots for me."

"My, what big ego you have," Rory remarked, hanging the last sheet.

"Oh, thank god. We finished!" She cheered, plopping onto the grass.

"You're tired?"

"Of course. The trophy wives make hanging sheets look easy. My arms are tired, oh boy," She sighed dramatically. "I don't think I'm going to make it. Rory, be good to mama and get food at Lukes."

"Rory's going to rebel and go home," Rory grabbed her bag. She didn't want to Luke's because that's where He worked. "Besides, Luke's is right over there," Rory pointed to the quaint diner across the street.

"Then I don't see the point in you going to get some food."

Rory shifted her weight, slowly becoming impatient. "I just…I just don't want to go to Luke's."

"Why not?" Lorelai asked.

"I just don't," Rory stated firmly, "I'm going home."

"I'm coming with you," She announced, grabbing her basket and catching up to Rory. The entire town watched as Lorelai, who was not known for her housework, walked through town with a laundry basket and Rory by her side.

Lorelai noticed and mumbled to Rory unnoticeably. "Just smile and wave."

* * *

Rory walked through the living room, slipping off her shoes as she went. "I'll be in my room, I have studying to do for finals tomorrow," She announced, secluding herself in her room. 

Lorelai just nodded, dropping her keys onto the hall table. She slipped off her shoes, pressing the message button.

_You have 2 new messages. _

The first message began playing._ Lorelai, I'm calling to tell you that dinner this week has been cancelled_- Lorelai let out a small squeal- _and has been rescheduled to Sunday. You know we have this agreement, and it clearly states that we have a dinner every week to keep in touch._-Lorelai groaned. 'We also agreed to have them Fridays' Lorelai thought.

Lorelai pressed delete.

_Message has been deleted. You have one 1 new message. _

Lorelai sighed, leaning onto the small table. _Ms. Gilmore, this is Headmaster Charleston calling in concern of Rory's absence in school today_.-Lorelai's brows furrowed in confusion. Rory had gone to school today.- _Chilton has high standards, and an un-excused absence is not tolerated. Since Rory is such an honorable student, we will not penalize her for her actions. Nevertheless, we leave this in your hands to take care of, and we expect this not to happen again. Good day, Ms. Gilmore._

Lorelai ambled over to Rory's room, unsure of what she was actually going to get out of her. How could Rory be stupid enough to skip school during her last week at Chilton? Lorelai dismissed the thought as she entered Rory's room. She closed the door behind her and sat on Rory's bed, still going unnoticed by her daughter.

"Rory, what were you thinking?" She asked suddenly, hoping to catch her by surprise.

And she did. Rory jumped slightly before turning around and looking at her mom. "You scared me!"

"I was going for that effect," Lorelai answered quietly, playing with the hem of the bed sheet. "How could you be so stupid, Rory?"

"Was I demoted from top of my class?" Rory wondered out loud, not sure exactly what was going on.

"You might be," Lorelai stated simply, this time looking up at Rory. "Rory, you skipped school!"

"Oh," Rory hung her head, not sure of what to say.

"Yea, oh. Why would you skip school?" Lorelai questioned. "I could understand doing this during the year, but your last week of school? Rory, you have Yale to think about!"

"I know! I know."

"What could have possibly gone wrong that you had to skip school? You couldn't have possibly done it out of spite. Who could you be mad at?"

"I wasn't mad at anyone," Rory answered, a sigh escaping her lips. "Look, why are you making such a big deal out of this? I mean, it's not like I missed a final or anything."

"You're bound for Yale, Rory. What more of a reason do you need to stay in school?"

"Mom, some things just came up and I had to deal with it. Can't you just trust me?" Rory pleaded.

"Rory, you skipped school. The only time you actually skipped school on purpose was when you were falling madly in love with Jess, and you went to New York. You've never done that after. You almost grounded yourself when you were forced to miss school for the chicken pox. I think you need to tell me what happened."

Rory sighed in realization, knowing she would have to tell her mom sometime. She wasn't prepared to tell her just yet, but if she didn't do it now, her mother would never let it go. "Um-I saw Jess on the bus to school this morning," Rory started, wringing her hands in her lap.

"What was Jess doing on the bus?"

"It sounded fishy to me too, since I knew he had school. I walked back and sat with him, and we talked. I found out that Jess couldn't get prom tickets, meaning we couldn't go together. We talked about books and things, and then my stop came. I went to get up and the-" Rory was interrupted.

"You're stalling, Rory. Just get straight to the point," Lorelai stated impatiently.

"Jess is going to California, and I almost boarded a plane to California a week before my graduation just so I could be with him," Rory rambled, averting her mother's gaze.

"Rory, California? A week before graduation? What were you thinking?" Lorelai asked desperately, not really wanting the answer.

"Mom, we've been together for a while. I couldn't stand him leaving. I made a rash decision in ditching school, and I went with him to the airport."

"Is that why you skipped school?" Lorelai asked. "I mean, if Romeo and Juliet could pull it off, my Rory Gilmore can definitely pull it off."

"Mom," Rory whispered. "I broke down in the airport. I couldn't help it; I had to let him know I was going to miss him. The only way I figured to accomplish that was crying, and I did a pretty good job at it," Rory crawled to the floor, her mom wrapping her arms tightly around her.

"Rory, I know this is hard for you, but you can't just skip school when you have your finals starting tomorrow and your graduation in one week!"

"Yes, I think I got the gist of it," Rory mumbled.

"Rory, why did you decide to even go with him to the airport if he was leaving to California?"

"How would you feel if your boyfriend left forever and you never got to say goodbye?"

Lorelai sighed in defeat. She knew Rory had won her over with the 'How would you feel…' question. Always worked, no matter what situation they were in, Rory always seemed to win her over with that simple question. It was sneaky and underhanded, but when Rory used it she never meant harm, it was always purely innocent when coming from her mouth.

"I'd probably feel just as bad as you're feeling," Lorelai thought this answer was enough to sustain Rory until she was curious enough to ask 'for real' another time.

Lorelai turned Rory so she was facing her. "Look, I know this is going to be very mommy-ish of me, but you have to promise me you won't be stupid again and get on a plane to California."

Rory's eyes widened. She hadn't really been expecting that. What if one day, deep into her college years, she had the urge to go see Jess? Rory knew, deep down, she wouldn't be able to keep a promise like that. She knew she would eventually have to go see Jess. She couldn't lie to her mom. She barely ever lied to her mom, only when it was absolutely necessary. But as Rory looked up at the woman sitting in front of her, something inside of her just pushed her over that last hill. She turned to her mom, looking her in the eye, and for the first time since she could remember, Rory Gilmore lied. Straight to her mother's face, she lied.

"I promise."


	4. Imperfection

A/N: Hey guys! Here's another chapter, I'm sorry for the wait. My internet was down for two weeks, so I couldn't update at all. I'll be getting chapter 5 out soon, its almost done. JUst a treat for your patience. Thank you for waiting, and leave a review! Enjoy!

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_Chapter 4_

**Imperfection**

Rory marched into the kitchen, eager to get a cup of coffee. She was happy today had come so quickly; it was her last final at Chilton. Today was her last day at that school, and she couldn't be more proud of herself. She had faced so many challenges when she first got there; it was a blessing to be graduating. She would be starting a new life soon, whether it be Yale, or a path she chose solely on her own.

"Rory, is that you?" A voice called from the living room.

"Mom?" She questioned, placing the pot on the counter. "You're actually up?"

"I've got that meeting at the Inn today," Lorelai groaned. "I thought that since I was the manager and all, I would be able to change the time. Apparently Michel's appointment at the Gym was more important."

"The concierge held power over the manager? Mom, your losing your touch," Rory giggled, handing her a coffee mug.

"I was at the mercy of Celine Dion," Lorelai scoffed.

Rory patted her hand. "I feel your pain. Lane went through a 98 degrees phase," Rory grimaced at the memory. "She played their only two songs at least a thousand times."

"This is _so_ much different," Lorelai disagreed, throwing some pop tarts into the toaster.

"Yes, well, we can't all be fans," Rory mumbled into her coffee. "I'm going to get dressed," She announced, disappearing into her room.

"So, I was thinking maybe we hit Luke's for an afternoon snack," Lorelai suggested. "Then maybe we could come home and celebrate your last final."

Rory came out in her uniform, backpack slung over her shoulder. "I'll be there," She kissed her mother on the cheek. "Behave, or you might just be penalized with Jessica Simpson."

"The horror," Lorelai cried as Rory left the house.

--

Rory walked into her English class. Her last final had arrived. She had reviewed her notes more times than countable; she was positive she was going to ace the test, no doubt.

Mr. Medina walked up and down the aisles, handing out the test booklets to each student. "I expect after a week of finals, you know the rules backwards and forwards," He began. He walked back to his spot at the front of the room. "You're all highschool seniors, I am assuming you won't be cheating. Use only the pencil I give you, and be sure to fill in every answer; they all count, believe it or not."

The class laughed quietly, averting their attention to their test booklet. Everyone was eager to finish of the test; it was last period.

Rory worked through the test, filling in every bubble and writing out every answer. She finished about an hour later, handing her paper in to Mr. Medina. She was grinning from ear to ear, happy she was finally done.

"Finished, Miss Gilmore?" He asked quietly.

Rory nodded. "I knew my notes backwards and forwards," She reiterated.

He nodded. "I'm sure you did," He looked at her paper uneasily. "It's a bit early to turn it in, don't you want to look it over?"

Rory shook her head. "I feel very safe with what I have down on paper."

He shrugged. "If you feel that way, then I'm sure its fine."

Rory furrowed her brows. "What is that supposed to mean?" Was he accusing her of being careless?

Mr. Medina gestured towards the rest of the room. "Most students don't finish so early into the class," He answered. "Paris isn't even finished yet."

"Well, she tends to be a nitpick with mistakes," Rory snapped.

"I'm just telling you that a few more minutes checking it over would go a long way."

Rory grabbed her paper angrily. "I'm sure it will," She whispered before going back to her seat.

--

Rory walked up to the teacher's desk. He had told her a few minutes before the period ended that he wanted to talk to her about something. She was hoping it had nothing to do with her mom and him; she wanted nothing to do with the two. She was always getting caught up in that mess. She was made the messenger from school to home, almost like a carrier pigeon.

"You wanted to see me?" She stopped abruptly in front of the desk.

He nodded. "Rory, I've noticed something recently."

She just stared out the window. She didn't want to be here, especially after their conversation earlier.

He continued, despite her averted attention. "You don't seem to handle failure to well," He stated bluntly.

Rory snapped her head towards her teacher. "Excuse me?"

"You seemed pretty confident with your paper when you brought it to me," He explained. "But when I hinted there might be even the slightest mistake, you took it back angrily. It seemed like you refused to fail."

"You just made me nervous, that's all," Rory mumbled. "It's perfectly normal; finals are very stressful."

"I understand," Max sighed. "I'm just suggesting that you lighten up. Maybe have a 'day of imperfection'."

Rory's eyes widened. "A day of imperfection? What is that supposed to mean?" She scoffed, folding her arms crossly.

"I'm just suggesting you take day during the summer and not worry about any mistakes you make," He elaborated. "It will help round you for when it comes time for college. You'll be making a lot of mistakes your first year."

Rory shook her head and left the classroom. She walked right up to her locker, fiddling with the combination. "Unbelievable..." She muttered to herself, grabbing everything in her locker and dumping it into her bag. She had to have her locker cleaned, she wasn't allowed to leave anything behind since she was graduating.

"Bad day, huh?" A voice asked from behind her.

Rory turned around. "Paris? What are you doing here?"

"I saw you from across the hall," She explained. "You seemed pretty mad."

"Well, I'm not," Rory denied, closing up her backpack.

"You find me stupid, don't you Gilmore?" Paris questioned, blocking her from leaving.

Rory furrowed her brows. "You obviously can't be stupid to attend this school."

"The school knows I'm smart," Paris smirked. "You must think I'm naϊve or something, trying to hide the fact that your mad."

"Paris, I'm not hiding anything!" Rory cried, slamming her locker closed.

"Anger can lead to blood problems later in life, Rory," Paris shrugged. "I would advise you to just let this out; it could save your life."

"Oh my god, Paris! Yes, I'm mad," Rory admitted. "Are you happy?"

"So I was right?" Paris smirked. "I could tell by the way you stormed out of the classroom that something was wrong."

"Obviously," Rory muttered. "Is that all you wanted? To hold your superior knowledge over my head?"

"No, I was actually wondering what was wrong," She answered. "You seemed very frustrated, I thought maybe you wanted to talk about it."

"Well, I don't. You wasted your time."

Paris sighed angrily. "I'm going to find out sooner or later, Rory. I think it's better if I find out from you and not from your mother."

"My mother?" Rory asked shockingly. "How would you find out from my mother?"

Paris looked down at her feet. "I needed someone to talk to one day, and she offered. Don't take it personally."

"And she didn't tell me..." Rory mumbled angrily.

"I asked her not to, I didn't want you getting mad," Paris assured her. "Speaking of mad..."

"God, Paris!" Rory cried. "Mr. Medina told me that I obviously don't like the idea of failure. He suggested a 'day of imperfection," Rory stressed with air quotes.

"Day of imperfection?" Paris reiterated, eyes wide. "Why would anybody need to take a day and make a thousand mistakes? I find that completely pointless; especially if its in your nature to be obsessive over your mistakes."

"I'm not obsessive," Rory mumbled.

"Of course you aren't! I'm saying this in general," Paris sighed. "I wonder why he didn't mention this to me?"

Rory shrugged. "He suggested it to me because I was one of the first to hand in my test booklet. He kept hinting at the fact that there might be mistakes, so I got angry and took it back."

"He let you take it back?" Paris cried.

"Thats what he basically wanted," Rory scoffed. "There has to be something behind this, he had never confronted me before. I used to be more obsessive when I first got here, I don't know what the problem is now."

"There is no problem," Paris patted her shoulder. "Keep your chin up, soldier. You only have a few more days to spend in this place, then you're out of here."

Rory sighed. "I guess your right..." She snapped her head up in realization. "Maybe my mom asked him to keep an eye on me!"

"What?"

"My mom met up with Max at the Booster Club meeting, and they talked. Maybe my mom asked him to keep an eye on me during finals!"

Paris shook her head. "Rory, I would have somehow found out about it. Your mother is very chatty when she's with company," She laughed. "You're being completely delusional."

"Am not," She mumbled.

"Your just looking for someone to blame," She replied. "Look, Rory, just go home. Mr. Medina has nothing better to do than to terrorize high school students. You got into Yale already, you just finished your last final; you have _nothing_ to worry about."

Rory nodded. "Thanks, Paris."

"Anytime."

--

Rory marched into her bedroom, throwing her backpack into her closet. "Goodbye bag," She stated as if thumped into the closet. "I won't be needing you anymore."

She slipped off her Chilton jacket and jumped onto her bed. That day of imperfection was getting to her. How could a teacher suggest that to a student? Teachers are put into their position to help students, not to point out their faults. That imperfection suggestion wasn't going to help her, it just made her mad. So she was scared of failure; at least she wasn't some random hobo living on the street. Maybe that random hobo was asked to have a day of imperfection and went bankrupt.

Rory thought back to the airport and everything that had happened. That certainly was a day of imperfection. She had ditched school and went to an airport to say goodbye to her boyfriend! Maybe that's what she needed, a vacation. She certainly had felt happier that day than any other day that week. Maybe Mr. Medina was right; she did need to realize her faults.

Rory shot up in her bed, getting up quickly. She scurried around her room, gathering random clothes and some important items. She plucked a few books off of their shelf and placed them on her bed. She went to her closet and took out her yellow backpack. "So much for goodbye," She muttered, stuffing the pile of items into the bag.

She looked around the room, giving it a good search before heading out through her door. She walked into the kitchen and took a post it off of the fridge. She grabbed a pen and scribbled a message to her mom.

_I'm realizing my faults. It's all Max's fault. I'll keep in touch -Rory_

She looked over her note proudly, placing it onto the coffee pot. She walked to the front door, happy with her decision. She gave the house one last look, taking a mental picture before she left.

Surely nobody should be disappointed; it was her day of imperfection, and she just made her first mistake.

--

Rory looked around curiously at the bustling terminal. Everyone was in a rush to catch their flight. Rory, on the otherhand, was looking for a payphone. She needed a way to get to a motel or something, and renting a car would be too expensive. She spotted a payphone near the exit, and hauled her suitcase over to the phone. She took a few coins out of her pocket and inserted them into the phone, dialing quickly.

It rang, a few times. A pregnant pause silenced the terminal as the phone was picked up on the other line.

Before the person could even acknowledge her calling, she cut him off.

"Um, Jess. It's me, Rory. I was wondering if you could come get me, I'm at the airport..."

* * *

A/N: Review! 


	5. Silence

Trust Me

**Chapter 5**

_Silence_

He had arrived only an hour after her request. She figured he was too shocked to form any sort of sentence. She was hoping for more than the occasional grunt.

Sometimes silence is bad, giving the mind a spare moment to ponder on recent actions. It could give the mind enough time to insinuate an argument. Silence could only provide question, whether it be for yourself or for another mind, but never an answer. Albeit, nothing ever came complete.

Rory decided to break the silence. It was getting to her. "You know, you're starting to turn into a caveman, only with slightly better hair."

Jess just smirked, turning onto another street.

"So, where are you taking me?" Rory asked curiously. "It seems like your lost."

Jess looked at Rory briefly, eyebrows raised.

"Right, sorry," She mumbled, crossing her arms across her chest.

After a few more minutes of turning onto random roads, Jess finally decided to speak. "Why are you here?" He asked her.

Rory's eyes widened, then she sighed in frustration. "You don't want me here," She meant it more of a question, but it ended up coming out as a statement.

"I never said anything to that effect," He told her, stopping the car in an abandoned parking lot.

"Are we even supposed to be here?" Rory asked, motioning towards the empty, and dirty, parking lot.

"Rory," He stated. Commanded, more so.

She sighed. He needed to know; she couldn't come up unannounced and not explain to him why she was there. "I couldn't stand being that far apart, long distance isn't my forte."

"I figured that the minute I moved into Stars Hollow," He muttered. "You almost came last time. At least you made it a step further."

"Jess!" Rory stated angrily. "I came to see you. I came because when I saw you on that bus, I couldn't stand the thought of you leaving. I had so many questions, and you were leaving to California. I couldn't leave them unanswered."

"Ever the reporter," He sighed tiredly. This was getting hard; them, it was getting hard. Something always had to come up. He noticed now they could never be left at a happy time.

"Jess, this isn't what I came here for," Rory told him. "There are a few things we need to clear up."

"Really?" He turned to face her; glad he stopped in the parking lot. She was demanding his full attention.

"Jess, why were you leaving?" Rory asked finally, following the few seconds of awkward silence.

"I wasn't the only one planning on leaving," He gestured towards her and her suitcase in the back.

"Jess, you know what I mean," She sighed tiredly. She was too exhausted to play games with him. She'd have to match him with grunts. "Why?" That seemed fitting.

"Rory, not everything concerns you," He muttered.

"That's not going to work for me," said Rory, angry he was trying to evade the argument. "You bolted, Jess. The minute you found out about the prom tickets, you got scared. It was the first time that you couldn't please me, and it scared you. I know this, I'm a runner too," She finished softly, looking down at her hands placed in her lap.

Jess sat there, stunned. She had brushed up on her interviewing skills. He hadn't said one word before she analyzed everything into detail. He hoped this was off the record. "So I bolted, big deal."

"Big deal? Jess, it's a big deal to me, to Luke," said Rory in a desperate attempt "Luke, although he hates to admit it, was devastated. I was devastated. You really think I went to the airport just to watch the pretty little air planes take off?"

Jess sighed, shaking his head. He had failed her; maybe even Luke, though he wasn't going to admit it aloud. "Ok, it was a big deal. I get it, lecture over?"

"No," Rory snapped. "Jess, you were planning on leaving without saying goodbye. How would you feel if I left, with no word of where I was going or why?" Ah. The ever innocent 'How would you feel…?' Rory question. Accompanied with the Rory face and it worked wonders.

Jess sighed. "I would go after you. Stars Hollow would badger me everyday, I wouldn't be able to handle the pressure."

Stars Hollow. Pressure. "That's why you left."

He nodded, looking out his window awkwardly. "I couldn't handle it, that's the reason I left New York; I couldn't bring back memories."

"Memories? Jess, how about our memories," Rory fiddled with her hands. She didn't want to see his reaction to that. It just came out, really, she hadn't expected on saying that aloud. It was a random floating thought in her brain.

She heard him sigh. That's a good sign. He was at least thinking about it. "Rory, I just left. I was scared, and I just left."

"Scared of what?" Rory asked. This was getting frustrating. He wasn't giving her a straight answer, and it was hard following what he was trying to say.  
"Just scared Rory," He muttered, turning to look out his window.

Rory rolled her eyes. "Jess, if you're not going to be straight with me, then we'll get no where."

"How would you feel if you weren't graduating?" Jess asked angrily, burying his face into his hands. This was getting tiring, the fighting. He couldn't stand it.

"What?" Rory looked up at him curiously.

"Yes, I'm not graduating. I couldn't get prom tickets because I'm not graduating," He spat. He had that bottled in for a long while. Too long, he could tell by the look on Rory's face. "I was scared of how you'd react to having your boyfriend be a failure. I couldn't stand to just wait for you to break up with me."

Jess tapped his fingers against the wheel.

"You should have told me," She stated quietly, looking down at her hands resting in her lap.

He shrugged, starting the engine. Rory looked up at him as she heard the engine running. "So you're afraid of me?"

Jess sighed, shaking his head. She really wanted an answer. "Afraid of not pleasing you," He muttered, backing out of the parking lot.

It was quiet, Rory's mind lost in her thoughts.

He cared. The silence, it showed he cared.

--

Rory grabbed her small yellow backpack as she followed Jess into his home. She hadn't really wanted to stay in Jimmy and Sasha's home; that would be a bit awkward for the two of them. She had insisted on staying in a nearby motel, but Jess didn't even acknowledge her. He just drove straight to the house, ignoring every word of protest that left her mouth.

Jess opened the door quietly, motioning for Rory to follow. "Jess, are they even home?"

He shrugged. "Barely ever are. Pathetic if you ask me."

Rory breathed a sigh of relief. She wouldn't have to see them as often. "You know, Jess, I could just stay somewhere else. I saw a nice little motel near here that would be just as-"

He stopped her. "You're staying in the guest bedroom. It's upstairs," He told her, marching up the wooden staircase.

Rory followed, now certain she wouldn't be able to stay anywhere else. "Sasha has a kid, right? I heard you mention it on the way here."  
He nodded. "Lily."

She smiled at the name. A little girl, what fun. "Will I get to meet her?

Jess smirked. Leave it to Rory to worry about his stepsister. "Probably."

Rory seemed satisfied with the answer; she didn't say much else on their way to her room.

Jess stopped short of the door, turning to Rory. "This is your room," He gestured behind him. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you," She mumbled, stepping into her room. She gave it a once over and turned around to towards the door. Jess was still standing there, smirking it her.

"Jess," Rory started, walking towards him. She stopped just in front of him, looking down at her feet. She leaned up quickly, brushing her lips against his. She stepped back.

Jess just stood there, still smirking. He raised his eyebrows at her as he disappeared down the hallway.

She smiled as she began to unpack. Imperfection just flew out the window.

--

Jess walked down the hallway towards Rory's room. It was nearing dinnertime, and he was sure Rory was starving. California was a few hours behind Stars Hollow because of the time zone, so it was even later for Rory's body.

He knocked on her door softly and got no reply. He opened it a crack and saw Rory sprawled over the guest bed. He smiled slightly, walking over to her. He sat down at the edge, shaking her softly. He got an incoherent reply. He shook her again, this time successfully waking her up.

"Jess?" She mumbled, turning over to look at him.

He smirked. "I was thinking maybe you wanted to go out to eat."

"Eat?" Rory asked. Her stomach thought otherwise.

"Yea, eat. I know a good pizza place nearby."

"And there's nothing to cook here?" Rory asked, desperately hoping to stay home rather than go out.

"Can you cook?"

Rory's eyes widened. "God, no. I'd burn the house down."

"Exactly. Come on, let's go," He stood and walked towards the door.

Rory groaned, sad to leave the bed. She grabbed a light jacket and slung it over her arm, following Jess through the door.

--

They reached the small pizzeria a few minutes later, taking a seat at a table near the window. Rory smiled as she saw all the young couples walking along the sidewalk, admiring the setting sun.

A waitress came up to them. "What'll it be?"

Jess looked to Rory. He gestured towards the waitress.

"Anything's fine," Rory mumbled, blushing.

"Come on, I know you love to indulge," He smirked.

"Pepperoni," She told the waitress. "Is that okay?" She asked Jess.

"Pepperoni," He agreed. The waitress left, smiling at the couple. "You're getting better at this ordering thing."

"I'm still getting the hang of it," She sighed. "Um, Jess, I thought of something on the walk here."

He looked hesitant for about a second and then nodded. "What?"

Rory surprised him by leaning in and kissing him tenderly on the lips. "I don't know how long I'm going to be here, but I just don't want the time that I'm here for to be awkward. So, I want us to pretend that nothing has happened. That we're on our own for now, and we have nothing standing in our way."

"You want to pretend that I never left and that I didn't fail?"

She narrowed her blue eyes on his brown eyes. "Please, Jess. Do this one thing for me. I don't want to let go just yet. I can't."

He ran a hand through his hair. "So, you're going to be able to let go in a few days?"

"I-I don't know. But, I just want to pretend for now. Or not pretend but pick up where we left off," She pursed her lips together. "Can we do that?"

"Rory, I'm the number one person who wants to have these last few days with you."

She smiled for the first time since they had gone out to dinner. "Then kiss me."

He leaned in slowly, brushing his lips against hers lightly. He placed his hand on her arm, pulling her closer to him. She smiled into the kiss, placing her arm on his neck. His tongue lightly touched her lips, running it along her top lip.

Rory heard someone cough awkwardly behind her and she snapped back to her seat, blushing a deep crimson.  
The waitress placed a pepperoni pizza pie onto the middle of the table. "Enjoy," She said, winking at the couple.

Jess just smirked. "Help yourself."

--

Rory looked out onto the water as they both walked onto the pier. They had finished dinner a few minutes ago, and Jess had suggested walking to the shore to see the ocean. She sighed happily as she took in the setting sun and the small waves lapping onto the sand.

"So, you get to see this everyday?" Rory asked, turning her head to look at Jess.

He nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Nothing special," He smirked.

Rory gasped. "How could this be nothing special? I'd kill to have scenery like this around the corner from my house. All I have is naked Kurk running around town."

"Some people would pay to see that," He laughed lightly.

"You should appreciate this better," Rory told him. "It's not everyday you get to live in California."

"It is for me," He replied.

"I still think you should," Rory sighed, looking at a family playing by the water. "Now that is ideal," Rory pointed towards the small family.

"If you want to be changing diapers all day, then yes," Jess grinned. "Not for me."

Rory smiled, turning to face him. "You'll change your mind. You still hate the world, remember?"

He just shrugged. "So you think you'll have time? What with your journalism dreams, I would think your completely booked."

She nodded in agreement. "I am completely booked. I don't plan on settling yet."

"How's the Yale thing going?" He asked, sitting down on one of the many benches lining the pier.

"I'd have to be back this weekend if I want the Yale thing to even happen," Rory trailed off softly, fidgeting with her coat sleeve. There was a small wind picking up since they were so far out.

He sighed. "So you're going through with it?"

"It's my dream," She sighed.

They were silent for a few minutes, each immersed in their own thoughts. Sometimes silence is good. It shows how much one has been through; our minds one hazy jumble. Silence could help, giving the mind a few rare moments to recollect itself before mounting the endless highway of a human's thoughts. Of course, help never gave answer.

Jess contemplated for a few moments before breaking the silence. "Tell me again, why did you come here?"

Rory shrugged. "I'm still pretending," She murmured as she leaned over and kissed him, indulging in her make believe.

May the good silence live on.

--

A/N: Hi ;

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I've had this one scene in my head for a while, and I'm glad I finally got to use it. Thank you all for your kind reviews, it really motivated me to finish this chapter. I expect the same treatment, if not better, for this one. You're all very kind, I'm flattered by your reviews. Keep them coming, I appreciate it!


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